Every year in the month of May, the Miami Valley School holds the Aries Colloquium, an event in which seniors present their Aries Projects. With two years of work behind them, these projects cover an expansive field of topics ranging from culture studies like “How to win an Oscar for Dummies” (Giulia Boni) to complex mathematics and science, such as “Random Hamiltonian Cycles in 3d Grids” (AJ Gruenwald, pictured). These presentations are so deeply connected to each senior on both a personal and academic level, and they provide a level of research and polish seen nowhere else within their high school careers.
The colloquium is an excellent opportunity to explore the capabilities of MVS Students. With the beautiful consolidation of such diverse and researched knowledge at the colloquium, you can place yourself at the center of each of these seniors’ academic journeys. Through watching the school’s most refined presentations, you also observe firsthand the thriving academic culture within MVS. Thanks to watching the inspiring students at the colloquium, every year I can reflect on my own work and realize that I can always be a more curious student.
As the year comes to an end and MVS waves farewell to the seniors, it is important to reflect on what has been learned since the last colloquium. Not only what the students have learned in classes, but also what we all have learned about ourselves. Just as the seniors have been working hard on this assignment for over a year, they have simultaneously been adapting and growing into young adults ready for college. This capstone project is more than just a project; it’s a testimony to the possible dedication that we all can exhibit over the course of two years. This annual ritual of the colloquium reminds us to continue learning and to work towards the next year, just in time for the next wave of students to take up the mantle of their own Aries Projects.
This year, the senior class has transformed our community, leading our school with unbridled confidence. They have seen MVS through the widest scope, finishing four full years of high school within these walls, and they are soon to leave us for greater horizons in college. These last few days with these seniors mark the finality of the combined community we have cultivated since the first day of this school year. Now more than ever is the opportunity to make these final days leave the lasting impression on us that we desire to remember.